King Abdullah promises Israel to amend Beirut's summit initiative
Jordan-Israel, Politics, 3/8/2005

The Jordanian King Abdullah II on Monday promised Israel to work for renovating the Arab Peace Initiative which was approved at Beirut's summit in 2002 and to achieve peace between it and all Arab states and this will be for reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinians including withdrawal from the occupied lands.

The Arab peace initiative was proposed by the Saudi crown prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz on behalf of Arab states to the Beirut Arab summit conference in 2002. It proposes complete peace with Israel and full diplomatic relations for Israel 's recognition of all rights of the Palestinians, the establishment of a Palestinian states and withdrawal from all occupied Arab lands including south Lebanon and the Golan and other occupied Arab lands.

Abdullah urged Syria to take the right decision over the international calls to withdraw its forces from Lebanon.

Abdullah said, in the first interview with Channel II of the French TV since the eruption of the Palestinian Intifada in September 2000, that there is a need to amend the initiative in the next Arab summit in Algeria which has to take into consideration the Israeli fears. The King's proposal includes recognition of Israel by each and every Arab state for Israel's withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza, East Jerusalem, the Golan heights and a promised to maintain an acceptable solution for the Palestinian refugees.

Abdullah said "I think that the real price is Israel's getting peace from the Arab states from Morocco ( on the Atlantic ocean ) to Oman on the Indian ocean." He added "should we understand the fears of others, problems might be settled." He continued "we were surprised that after Beirut's summit ( the Arab) plan had no effect on the Israeli society. We might have to explain in a better way the content of the plan and we do hope to reach more than what was in Beirut."

He added "should there be a future for the Palestinians, it should be a viable state. What I mean is geography. Under conditions taking place in the West Bank since one or two years, there would be no viable state to talk about. This means the Israelis and the Arabs will surrender to new decades of violence, hatred and doubts."

King Abdullah urged Syria to "take the right decision on the international calls to withdraw its forces from Lebanon. He said "we do hope that Syria will take the right decision. We can hope that the Syrians would deal with the question in the way that all hope to carry out."

Previous Stories:
  Haartez: Amman does not rule out King Abdullah's visit to Israel   (3/1/2005)
  New Jordanian ambassador arrives in Israel   (2/21/2005)
  Jordan returns back its ambassador to Israel on Sunday   (2/17/2005)

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